


Blood in the Water

by Jazzabenton



Category: The Folk of the Air - Holly Black
Genre: Angst, F/M, POV Cardan Greenbriar
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-06
Updated: 2020-10-06
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:42:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 324
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26857636
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jazzabenton/pseuds/Jazzabenton
Summary: A peek at Cardan, set during Jude’s month undersea.
Relationships: Jude Duarte/Cardan Greenbriar
Comments: 2
Kudos: 63





	Blood in the Water

**Author's Note:**

> *spoilers for The Wicked King*
> 
> Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Cardan stares at the Ruby on his finger. He lies awake in his enormous bed, alone, and twists the ring around and around. He studies the play of light across the surface of the jewel. He watches the sunlight glint off the gem and splash scarlet across the room in prisms and shadows of crimson along the walls.

_The color of blood._

He feels the sting of Balekin’s lash across his back and rises from his bed, the memory too real.

There weren’t many things that made Cardan _feel_. He learned long ago to shut that part of himself down. Numb to any pain, and to any pleasure as well. Feeling nothing was preferable. Until Jude.

_Jude’s blood._

She made him aware of his emotions in a way that he despises and loves all at the same time. A battle rages in him; desire, hatred, and awe fight to hold reign over him.

_Jude_.

She’s been under the sea for 14 days and nights. Cardan paces the floor of his room, his tail flicking back and forth, curling around and around—the only outward display of his inner turmoil.

His gaze bounces off the walls and the desk in the corner, glancing across the pages and scrolls of text piled in stacks, waiting for him to examine them.

He’s all too aware of each passing second. Wondering what horrors Jude is withstanding at the hands of Balekin’s cruelty and Nicasia’s enmity.

And he knows. He _knows_ she’s withstanding it. It’s _Jude,_ after all. That’s what she does. She doesn’t back down. She fights, she thinks, she schemes, and she follows the course she’s set out for herself.

His thumb passes over the smoothed down and worn edges of the precious jewel.

_Jude’s ring._

What would she do?

She would rise to the task. Practice, discipline, work.

Cardan marches back to the desk, and pulls down another stack of texts to read.

So will he.

**Author's Note:**

> _Thank you for reading!  
>  xoxoxo_


End file.
